5 Must-watch storylines during Detroit Tigers spring training

Only a few more hours, Detroit Tigers fans! "Gritty Tigs" baseball is back in action and this 2025 team isn't short of storylines to follow after their magical run to the postseason in 2024.

Detroit has made a number of additions as they hope to build upon strong seasons from their younger group and will be guided by AJ Hinch after coming one game short of the ALCS. Tarik Skubal is coming off a 2024 Cy Young season, Riley Greene hopes to emerge as an MVP candidate, and the bullpen will look to maintain its dominance.

But what else do fans need to be on the lookout for with spring training now in full force?

5 Must-watch stories waiting to unfold as Spring Training gets underway for Detroit Tigers

The Future of Spencer Torkelson

It's no secret the former No. 1 overall draft pick has underperformed expectations. This past offseason, Tigers' GM Scott Harris wasn't shy in his assessment of Tork's performance and we know Harris' word holds weight with recent video showing Colt Keith taking reps at first.

Is it now or never for Tork? It sure seems like it. He'll need a big spring to silence the doubters or else risk the "bust" moniker or potentially find himself traded to another club willing to take a shot at a career rebound.

For Tigers fans and front office alike, if Tork can't become the player they've been waiting for, it'll be a tough pill to swallow given other success stories from the 2020 MLB Draft (thanks Al Avila).

A Coming Attraction: AJ Hinch's "pitching chaos"

We can all admit AJ Hinch did a masterful job at managing the pitching staff in 2024. Mixing and matching openers and "bullpen days" not only shows the amount of trust Hinch has in his arms, but his attention to detail in making the right call at the right time.

It also shows guts, as this wasn't just a regular season strategy. Hinch didn't let up in the postseason, where there's undoubtedly added pressure and each decision is magnified.

We do ask, though: could this strategy had been out of necessity? Did Hinch really have no choice? Possibly. Maybe having Jack Flaherty in the postseason run would have helped alleviate the need for "pitching chaos."

Either way, Detroit's pitching was one of the strongest units in 2024 and it got even better with the return of Jack Flaherty and other offseason additions like Alex Cobb, Tommy Kahnle, and John Brebbia. With more help on the way, perhaps Hinch won't feel the need to implement the chaos, but the fact it was successful leads us to believe this is something that could be used in a beneficial way to manage starter innings throughout the grind of a 162-game season.

Perhaps Hinch's spring training management may give us clues as to how he might utilize his pitching throughout the year.

Young hitters earning their Tiger stripes

The 2024 Tigers offense was one of MLB's least productive in many ways, but the categories we're concerned about going into 2025 will be runs per game (4.21, 20th), OPS (.635, 24th), home runs (162, 24th), and doubles (244, 22nd).

The addition of Gleyber Torres should help, but they could have added another bat somewhere. Wishful thinking aside, reality does settle in (eventually) and we're headed to the dance with the one that brought us. With the lineup's current construction, we think the pressure is now squarely on the youngsters of this offense, and the Tigers are going to need a fast start from Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Colt Keith, and Parker Meadows, all of whom are all projected to be in at least the first six of the batting order.

It's no secret that the strength of the Tigers roster is their pitching, so by nature they have the luxury to hit some dry spells with the offense. Of course, if the offense can't click, all this does is put the onus and a tax on their pitching (i.e. 2024's pitching chaos) on a game-to-game basis. If Detroit wants to reach the next level of being a legitimate playoff contender, the offense needs to take a leap, and fast.

Fun Fact: Did you know the Tigers (4.21) and the Braves (4.35) were the only two teams in the 2024 postseason field who scored below league average (4.39) in runs per game?

Taking "Jobe" Applications: It's Jackson Jobe Time

There's no doubt that Jackson Jobe has the "stuff" to be a big-time top-end starter. But is he ready?

Having only pitched in four innings during the 2024 regular season and 1 2/3 innings in the postseason, Jobe has less than six total innings pitched in his major league career. Don't get it twisted: this isn't a knock on Jobe, but it's a legitimate concern headed into the year.

With Alex Cobb's recent injury, Jobe is now in the mix for the final rotation spot, but with other competitors (and more proven at this level) like Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Matt Manning, even Keider Montero, who performed well in his role last year, the job is all but won for Jobe.

A strong spring performance will definitely settle any concerns, but if Jobe were to win this job it would amplify an already excited fanbase headed into a brand new year.

Tigers prospect production

And finally, the talent group of Tigers prospects ready to make an impact at spring training. Their time is now.

Most of these guys likely aren't going to make the 26-man roster for Opening Day, but strong performances from the likes of Thayron Liranzo, Chase Lee, Max Clark, and others acquired by Scott Harris through trades or free agency, will further emphasize valuable depth.

To be honest, fans are most excited to see if Liranzo is able to crack the lineup in spring games as he's already made an impression, getting some nice knocks off of the guy he was traded for (Jack Flaherty).

Take a look here at a full list of the Tigers Spring Training roster. Who catches your eye? Who are you most excited to watch?

This truly is one of the more exciting times in recent memory to be a Tigers fan with so much optimism, potential, and talent on the roster. From the internal competition, coaching strategies, and prospect outlook, no matter how it turns out, it should be a fun spring training. Let's get it going!